Automatic feed device



Aug. 3 1926.

C. E. DULLIGAN AUTOMATIC FEED DEVICE 2 sheets-sheen 1' Filed Jan. 29 1924 Aug. 3 1926. 1,594,821

(3. E. DULLIGAN AUTOMATIC FEED DEVI GE Filed Jan. 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 and the appended claims.

Patented Aug. 3, 192 6. x 1 j I "UNITED STATES PATENT owl-ca.-

CHARLES E. DULLIGAN, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO UNITED STATES- OAIRTBIDGE 00., OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

AUTOMATIC FEED DEVICE.

Application filed January 29, 1924. Serial No. 689,261.

This invention relates to a device for the and for processes in which it is-desirable automatic feeding and conveying of matethat they be fed successively and conrial (especially articles which are relativetinuously. 1y light in weight and of fragile construc- The invention may, for example, be aption) from a bulk supply, in a controlled plied specifically to the feeding of thin metal and uniform stream, to a desired point. radiator tubes into a'machine (such as de- In conducting various mechanical operascribed in co-pending ap lication Serial tions upon materials, such as small objects No. 676,761) for cutting tliem to desired which must be individually and carefully lengths. An adaptation of the present inhandled, it frequently beidomes necessary vention to a machine of this sort which is to extract them from a more or less untypical of its general application, is illusassorted supply, to arrange them in orderly trated by the accompanying drawings, sequence, and to pass them in succession wherein through one or more operations. In such Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine;

cases they must first be continually with- Fig. 2 is a side elevation and section of drawn, without confusion of the remaining the same;

supply, and positioned in afixed and uni Fig. 3 is a vertical end view of the supform relationship to each other. It is also ply box; and

necessary to prevent jamming at the inlet, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same along and subsequent displacement in transfer or line 44 of Fig. 3.

during the operation to be carried out upon The machine illustrated in '2 consiststhem. of a framework or standard 10 upon which It is therefore an object of this invenare mounted a rotary feeding conveyor or tion to provide a feed device which will drum 11, a supply chute 12 adjacent one side effect the regulated withdrawal of a sucof the conveyor, a circular saw 13 and outcession of articles from an unassorted suplet 40 adjacent the other side of the conply, which will prevent simultaneous withveyor and an assorting or distributing dedrawal of more than a fixed amount or numvice 14 intermediate the supply chute and her of the articles, repelling the surplus the top of the conveyor.

and which will convey the articles with- The conveyor 11 consists of asubstantially drawn in fixed relative positions, to the cylindrical drum carried between two hubs point or points desired. Further objects 16, mounted on shaft 17 and operably con- 'will appear from the following description nected with a driving shaft 18 through the of a typical application of my invention worm gear 19, for rotation in the direction of the arrow.

In general, my invention consists in a Lateral guides 15 from the chute 12 exbulk supply, a conveyor adjacent thereto, tend into close juxtaposition with the means for directing a uniform charge from periphery of each end of the drum (Fig. 1) the supply to the conveyor, means for re,- and direct a supply of tubes 22 from the moving a surplus therefrom and. means for chute against the face of the drum (Fig. 2). retaining the articles in fixed position on The size and shape of the conveyor surthe conveyor. More in detail, the invention face will be modified to conform to the paris directed to a gravity supply of articles. ticular service for which it is to be used a rotary drum conveyor which may have and may be simply a c lindrical sheet. In

pockets in its outer surface, resilient means some instances it will be desirable to rough- .adapted to distribute the articles over the en or corrugate the surface, while in others surface of the drum and into said pockets, it may be necessary to lpi'ovide pockets of and to repel any surplus thereof, and a suitable size and depth. the present form ard for retaining the articles so disof the invention the peripheral surface of tributed in their respective pockets during the drum is provided with longitudinal a predetermined rotation of the drum. The grooves 21 of suitable contour and depth to invention is adapted to numerous urposes, receive the tubes 22. A plurality of ahnular but is especially suitable with artie es which slots 23, of greater depth than the grooves are light in weight and relatively fragile, 21. are also provided.

- parallel therewith shape, and degree of in the direction of the adjacent On the opposite side of the conveyor and is mounted a shaft 24, operated by rotation of the driving shaft 18, upon which are mounted at spaced antervals, by means of collars 26, a plurahty of metal cutting circular saws 27, which pass into the slots 23 to a pointbelow the bottom of grooves 21.

The assorting or distributing device 14 is mounted above the chute 12 and preferably somewhat in advance of the topmost portion of conveyor 11, and comprises a hor1- stiff but resilient members spaced apart thereon such as the circular brushes 29, and is rotated in bearings 30 onframe 10, by means of a pulley 31.

These resllient members construction depending upon the environment in which they are used but it has been ,found that fiber or bristle brushes have a peculiar capacity for the purpose and are readily obtained of the particular size, resiliency desired. The bristles may be shaft as shown orat a different angle thereto, as determined by the characteristics of the articles to be distributed, or by the sweeping motion which it is desired to give to them.

Intermediate the brushes 29 ed by a cross bar 32 are fas 33, extending downward to a wardly of the the tubes 22 in grooves 21, ends 34 curved thence to stantially parallel to the surface of the drum. hese strips serve as guards to prevent displacement of tubes 22 from grooves 21, through a predetermined angle or distance of rotation. Other strips 35 are fastened at the ends of cross bar 32 pass downward nearly conveyor 11 and have \curved portions 36 which extend rearwardly toward the brush 29, and substantially parallel to the conveyor.

Eor delivering tubes to the supply chute 12, boxes 37 are used as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, having one end open with slots 38 to receive a drop slide 39.

From the above description, the operatli gn of the device will be readily understood.

e lying parallel to its slide, chute with the end having the slide facing toward the conveyor 11. Slide 39 is then raised and the tubes roll against the connd supportened 'strips point rearand having their a position subdropping into the grooves 21.

he conveyor may be already in motion. If not, it is caused to rotate together with the brush 29 and saws 27, each arrow, he

past the brushes 29 and slightly above be mounted ad 'acent the and provided box 37 is filled with thin. metal tubes, 1 and placed in the perferably' tendency of the surplus tubes to pile or roll up upon the conveyor is overcome by the guide strips 35 while those which fit into the grooves 21 are carried by the conveyor beneath these strips, unaifected thereby. Tubes which lie upon or between those positioned in the grooves are urged out rom between the curved ends 36 of the strips 35 and the conveyor by the constant sweeping action of the brushes 29. The brushes also press the tubes which have been carried guides 36 more firmly into the grooves 21 bf the conveyor, so that they will pass smoothly beneath th and be held thereby until they come into contact with the saws 27 desired lengthsJ Upon passing beyond the guard strips 36, they are released and fall into the outlet chute 40.

In cases where-the grooves 21 are extremely shallow or are not employed, it may befound desirable 29 111 the opposite direction, thus urging the tubes which are fed beneath them against the conveyor surface and against those which precede them as they pass under the ard 36. Or, these results may be efi'ected y two brushes oppositely rotated. Other combinations and modifications of the in- -vent1on may be made, without departlng closure and the following claims, which will adapt it to numerous purposes.

owever, for most purposes markedly tter results are obtained by rotating the rushes oppositely to the drum and preferably at a peripherial velocity somewhat greater than the peripherial velocity :of the drum.

I claim:

1. A feed device for feeding and retaining rigid elongated articles tion comprising a drum conveyor for carrying the articles thereon, a revolving brush veyor and a apted positively to arrange and retain the articles in unlform successive order thereon, and guard means for retaining them in arranged position thereon.

2. A feed device for feeding and retaining rigid elongated articles firmly in position during mechanical o rations thereon, comprising a revolvable rum having a cvdirecting a supply for retain the drum, and guard means objects in their relative 3. A feed device for P Operations thereon e guard strips 34,

to rotate the brushes.

upon rotation of the.

surface of the concomprising a revolvable drum having a sub stantially cylindrical surface, a chute directing a supply of the articles against said surface, a resilient guide adjacent the drum, restraining a part of the supply from said surface, and a rotary brush to urge the articles which lie against said surface in the direction of rotation of the drum and in firmly seated position thereon.

i. A feed device for feedingand retaining rigid elongated articles firmly in position during mechanical operations thereon comprising a revolvable drum, article receiving pockets in the outer surface thereof, a chute directing a supply of articles against said surface, and a revolvable brush mounted adjacent said surface to urge said directing a supply articles upon rotation of the drum, into said pockets and to repel an excess therefrom.

5. A feed device for feeding and retaining rigid elongated articles firmly in position during mechanical operations thereon comprising a revolvable drum, longitudinal grooves in the surface thereof, a chute for directing a supply of articles against said surface, and a cylindrical brush parallel with and adapted to rotate against said drum to urge the articles into said grooves and to repel an excessive charge therefrom.

6. A feed device for feeding and retaining rigid elongated articles firmly in position during mechanical operations thereon comprising a revolvable drum, longitudinal grooves in the surface thereof, a chute for irecting a supply of articles against said surface substantially parallel to said grooves, and a guide adjacent said drum deflecting the part of said supply not contained in said grooves away from the drum surface and urging the articles contained in said grooves against the drum.

7. A feed device for feeding and retaining rigid elongated articles firmly in position during mechanical operations thereon comprising a revolvable drum, lon itudinal grooves in the surface thereof, a c hute for of articles against said surface and into said grooves, a guide adjacent said drum, deflecting the portion of said supply not contained in the grooves away from the drum surface, and a rotary brush for re llin said deflected articles and urging t e tu es in the grooves more firmly therein. 1

8. A feed device for feeding and retaining rigid elongated articles firmly in position during mechanical operations thereon comprising a revolvable drum, longitudinal grooves in the surface thereof, a chute for directing a supply of articles against said surface and into said grooves,-a guide adjacent said drum, deflecting the portion of said supply not contained in the grooves away from the drum surface, a rotary brush for repelling said deflected portion and urging the articles in the grooves more firmly therein, and a guard arallel to said drum and retaining said articles in the grooves on said drum throughout a predetermined rotation thereof.

9. A feed device for feeding and retaining rigid elongated articles firmly in position during mechanical operations thereon comprising a revolvable drum, having a substantially cylindrical surface, a chute for directing a supply of the articles against said surface, a resilient guide adjacent the drum, restraining a portion of the supply from said surface, a plurality of rotary brushes to repel the articles not in contact with the drum away from said guide, and to urge the articles which lie against said surface in the direction of rotation of the drum and in firmly seated position thereon. 10. A feed device for feeding and retaining rigid elongated articles firmly in position during mechanical operations thereon, comprising a conveyor for carrying articles thereon, a brush mounted adjacent the surface of the conveyor and with its bristles in resilient contact therewith, and means for .rotating said brush in opposite direction to the movement of the conveyor to arrange and retain said .articles in uniform successive order thereon.

Signed by me at Lowell, Massachusetts, this 21st day of January, 1924.

CHARLES E. DULLIGAN. 

